A Medical Device Daily

Osmetech (Pasadena, California) reported that it has signed an agreement with Qiagen (Venlo, the Netherlands) for Osmetech to adapt a QIAplex-based respiratory viral test for use on Osmetech's recently launched eSensor XT-8 molecular diagnostics system.

Qiagen will supply QIAplex-based reagents for the multiplex amplification of the most common viruses associated with respiratory infections. In July 2008, Qiagen launched its QIAplex-based ResPlex II respiratory panel for research use only. Osmetech intends to develop an in-vitro diagnostic test for use on its eSensor XT-8 molecular diagnostic instrument and to submit this test to the FDA for 510(k) clearance.

In other agreements/contracts news:

• For the second year in a row, Toshiba America Medical Systems (Tustin, California) said it was awarded a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Live Group Buy contract from Broadlane (Dallas), a healthcare supply chain services company. This is the second modality in which Toshiba has achieved such success. In April, Toshiba was awarded a group contract for computed tomography (CT) for the second year in a row.

• Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, California), a provider of radiation therapy solutions for oncology care, and Siemens Healthcare (Concord, California), a supplier of healthcare solutions, said that the two companies will work together using industry standard interfaces to connect Varian's ARIA oncology information system and Siemens' syngo Suite for Oncology.

Corey Zankowski, senior director of product management, said, "By collaborating to connect our systems using DICOM, Varian and Siemens can better support customers that use technology from both companies, and these customers can take advantage of more integrated workflows and enhanced interoperability with these solutions to adopt modern, advanced clinical methods quickly and efficiently."

• Block Imaging International (Lansing, Michigan) reported that it has formed a strategic partnership with Dicom Solutions (Irvine, California) and will now carry a new line of medical imaging digital solutions.

Block will provide its customers with PACS, RIS, DICOM to CD, CR and archive solutions from Dicom.

• Unibased Systems Architecture (Chesterfield, Missouri) said that United Hospital System (USA; Kenosha, Wisconsin) has contracted for its periOperative Resource Management System (ORMS). The initial focus of a phased implementation will be surgery scheduling with automation of preference cards, followed by use of USA's business intelligence tool, ForSite Analytics. Future plans include the implementation of the Physician Access web portal; providing ubiquitous access to the surgery schedule. The selection of USA represents a replacement of McKesson's Orbit surgical scheduling system.

• Level 3's (Broomfield, Colorado) Business Markets Group said that Bostwick Laboratories (Seattle) has selected Level 3 to provide network connectivity between that company's data center, remote offices, laboratories, and headquarters location. Under the terms of the renewed and expanded multi-year contract, Level 3 will deliver dedicated internet access, and voice over Internet.